The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) on April 27 released a new study which emphasized on the fact that number of women across the world are impotent to access family planning services, facing unintended pregnancies and other harmful practices such as gender related violence and genital mutilation. If the lockdowns would continue for six more months, it would witness a tremendous increase in rate of such practices--with million of new cases in the coming months.
Though the steps taken by the government to contain the spread of the virus are relevant, there rises a humanitarian crisis of the loss of essential sexual and reproductive health services.
47 million women in 114 low and middle-income countries may not be able to access modern contraceptives and 7 million unintended pregnancies are expectedly to occur if the lockdown continues for six months with major disruption to health services, says the study by this UN sexual and reproductive health agency in collaboration with partners Avenir Health, Johns Hopkins University and Victoria University. For every three months the lockdown continues, it may add up as many as 2 million women who may be unable to use modern contraceptives.
In the research the ruinous impact of lockdown on women with limited health facilities and preoccupied clinical staff. Report furthermore says that women might refrain from going to the hospital for check-ups due to a fear of the virus. In addition to this, disruptions in the supply chain of contraceptives are also limiting its availability so women may be unable to use their preferred method of contraception—and may instead opt for a less effective method or even discontinue use of contraceptive directly.
“This new data shows the catastrophic impact that COVID-19 could soon have on women and girls globally. The pandemic is deepening inequalities, and millions more women and girls now risk losing the ability to plan their families and protect their bodies and their health,” said Dr Natalia Kanem, the UNFPA Executive Director in their press release.
So far, not much is known about the pandemic, projections depict the worsening of the existing gender and social inequalities. The same study also talks about how the situation is going to have a ‘calamitous impact’ on increasing gender-related violence, child marriage, and female genital mutilation.
“Women’s reproductive health and rights must be safeguarded at all costs. The services must continue; the supplies must be delivered; the vulnerable must be protected and supported," added Kanem.
In another study released at the beginning of the month, UNFPA found that approximately a quarter of women cannot refuse sex or make their own decisions about accessing proper health care.